Europe cannot afford to look inwards in 2014

2014 is the year of decisions in Europe. Between 22 and 25 May, elections will be held across the 28 European member states to elect a new European Parliament. As soon as the parliamentarians come to office, they will need to elect the new European Commission President and decide on whether or not to approve the new Commission.

What can we expect of Europe and its new leadership? An inward-looking assemblage of nation states, focused on domestic problems rather than global problems? Or an outward-facing and united community, working globally for the common good?  

Presidential candidates, European federalism and Tony Giddens

These European elections promise to be difficult for the EU. Opinion polls are predicting a surge in support for anti-EU parties of left and right. Furthermore, if past elections are a guide to the future, voter turnout will fall again. It slid steadily from 63 per cent in the first European elections, in 1979, to 43 per cent five years ago. The European Parliament – despite gaining more powers through each successive treaty change – has failed to convince a majority of voters that it is an admirable or useful institution.



 But despite these ill omens, many ‘federalists’ – who may be defined as those wanting a significant transfer of powers to EU institutions – are getting excited. This is because the European elections may, for the first time, determine the choice of the president of the European Commission. Each of the main pan-European political parties has chosen a designated candidate for that job. Many federalists hope and expect that the political party which gains the most votes will see its candidate anointed president. They believe that this method of choosing the president would make the EU more democratic: voters would see a link between the way they vote and the person running the Commission. 

Algeria: U.S. Drone Dispute Underscores Tensions

Algeria's recent presidential election granted a fourth term to President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika, giving the political establishment additional time to implement constitutional changes as well as political and economic reforms. The president and his allies hope to foster a civilian state that can check the power of the military and security forces. Whether under civilian or military rule, however, security concerns will continue to play a key role in Algerian politics. This fact is underscored by a recent disagreement between Algiers and Washington over the sale of armed unmanned aerial vehicles, known colloquially as drones, and associated technology.


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Algerian President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika on April 3 in Algiers.(JACQUELYN MARTIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Algeria and the United States share concerns about regional militancy and view drones as useful tools in the fight against terrorism. However, deep divisions remain between the two on who will oversee technology and operations. As the United States tries to improve indigenous counterterrorism capabilities region-wide, this dispute highlights a major challenge: One of its most capable potential partners continues to pursue its own prerogatives, to the detriment of U.S. strategy. In accordance with Algeria's geopolitical imperatives, the country will continue to reject foreign oversight over domestic decision-making and oppose expanded Western influence in its strategic periphery.

Turkey’s Erdogan Prepares for Another Showdown After Mine Accident

Violent protests have erupted in Turkey at the climax of the country’s worst mining accident in which 274 miners have already been declared dead, with an estimated 120 still trapped underground.



The accident threatens to reignite last summer’s nationwide protests and end the brief reprieve won by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) with their March victory in local elections.

Japan’s Quest for a New Normal

Shinzo Abe’s quest to transform Japan into a ‘normal’ sovereign state is a risky and dubious proposition, warns Samir Tata. What he should be focusing on is becoming a better neighbor – i.e., on resolving Tokyo’s ongoing territorial disputes and improving its relations with Indonesia and North Korea. 

Are Germans Really Poorer Than Spaniards, Italians And Greeks?

 A recent ECB household-wealth survey was interpreted by the media as evidence that poor Germans shouldn’t have to pay for southern Europe. This column takes a look at the numbers. Whilst it’s true that median German households are poor compared to their southern European counterparts, Germany itself is wealthy. Importantly, this wealth is very unequally distributed, but the issue of unequal distribution doesn’t feature much in the press. The debate in Germany creates an inaccurate perception among less wealthy Germans that transfers are unfair.

 

Europe’s Endemic Deflation Problem

Bloomberg News

Euro-zone inflation is low and getting lower. But trends elsewhere on the continent suggest this is not just the European Central Bank’s fault.

Στην κορυφή του κόσμου οι Ελληνες εφοπλιστές - Οι 10 μεγαλύτεροι

 

Στην πρώτη θέση στην παγκόσμια ναυτιλιακή αγορά καταλαμβάνουν οι Ελληνες πλοιοκτήτες με βάση υπολογισμού τους gross tonnage (gt) ή τους dead weight tones (dwt). Σύμφωνα με στοιχεία του ναυλομεσιτικού οίκου Clarksons στα τέλη Απριλίου του τρέχοντος έτους ο ελληνόκτητος στόλος αποτελείτο από 4.894 πλοία, 168.922.455 gt και 291.735.318 dwt. Στη δεύτερη θέση η Ιαπωνία με 8.357 πλοία,159.401.728 gt και 242.640.509 dwt και τρίτη η Κίνα με 6.427 πλοία, 190.601.765 dwt και 116.675.336 gt.

U.S., China differences over Asia territorial disputes on sharp display

 

The United States and China put on sharp display Thursday their continuing differences over territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas, disputes that are now boiling over into violence.

Πώς να ψηφίσω; Υποψήφιοι μιας χρήσης και περιορισμένης ευθύνης

Λίγες μόνο ημέρες πριν από τις διπλές εκλογές τής 18ης Μαΐου, το εκλογικό σκηνικό είναι ασυνήθιστα ομιχλώδες. Αφενός γιατί, όπως έδειξαν και οι προηγούμενες εκλογές σε εθνικό επίπεδο, οι πολίτες είναι οργισμένοι με την κατάσταση στην οποία βρίσκονται οι ίδιοι και η Ελλάδα. Την μεγαλύτερη ευθύνη την αποδίδουν στο πολιτικό σύστημα, όπως διαχειρίστηκε τις τύχες τής χώρας τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες. Και του γυρνούν την πλάτη.

Στιγμιότυπο από παλαιότερες εκλογές στην Αθήνα. (Kostas Tsironis/Reuters)

Αφετέρου, γιατί στις σημερινές συνθήκες υπάρχει αδυναμία τής αναγνώρισης των τάσεων και των σκέψεων των πολιτών. Οι δημοσκόποι βρίσκονται σε αδιέξοδο καθώς στις δημοσκοπήσεις που διεξάγουν απαντά ελάχιστο ποσοστό πολιτών, περίπου το 10% από εκείνους που προσεγγίζονται. Έτσι, το περιθώριο λάθους γίνεται τεράστιο καθώς το δείγμα δεν είναι αντιπροσωπευτικό και οι στατιστικές τεχνικές δεν μπορούν να αντιμετωπίσουν το συγκεκριμένο πρόβλημα. Εκτός από τις πολιτικές αιτίες αυτού του φαινομένου υπάρχει και μια πρακτική: Οι εταιρείες δημοσκοπήσεων για να μειώσουν το κόστος τους διεξάγουν τηλεφωνικές δημοσκοπήσεις μέσω ηχογραφημένων ερωτημάτων. Φαίνεται ότι οι πολίτες βρίσκουν την διαδικασία αυτή προσβλητική και αντιδρούν με τον δικό τους τρόπο: Είτε κλείνουν το τηλέφωνο είτε απαντούν άλλα αντί άλλων. Ελάχιστοι ακολουθούν την επιθυμητή διαδικασία.